Six Companies You Had No Idea Are Swedish

The SCC List

20 May 2015, Rebecca Martin

Most of us know something about Sweden. Some of us (expat Swedes) know quite a lot. But whether your knowledge is on the ABBA, IKEA, Meatballs and Sill level or you are familiar with the intrinsically sophisticated inner workings of the Swedish mindset/culture/financial markets, there are companies out there that you may not know hail from our Northern shores.

We’ve decided to rectify that and thus present unto you the SCC list of six (Member) companies you may not have known are Swedish.

Everyone’s favourite high street retailer, to Swedes it is hard to believe that anyone could see H&M as any less Swedish than IKEA, but funnily enough, this is not the case. In fact, ask any Tomasine, Dickensia (Ok, so we made that name up) or Harriet and you will find that most have no idea where the label is from. However, the company’s Swedish roots are visible in everything from their great focus on Sustainability to their corporate culture – and this is a GOOD thing! Go Sweden! Go H&M! Wayhay!

So, these guys are rebuilding London. Quite literally. Not only did they build The Gherkin, they are also sprucing up the famous London landmark Battersea Power Station. You might not guess from their name that they are Swedish – but if we tell you they used to be called Skånska (Cementgjuteriet), perhaps you believe us then? They have been working their magic in Sweden since 1887, and internationally since 1897. Same great guys, less dots. True story.

With 300,000 employees in over 60 countries, perhaps the name Securitas does not scream Brand Sweden, but the company is Stockholm HQd and it is THE Swedish-owned company employing the most number of people in the UK. Pretty great going, according to us! So now you know. Securitas = Swedish. You’re welcome.

Most would probably get from the name that Scania has something to do with Scandinavia – but did you know that the name is actually the English translation of Sweden’s southernmost region ‘Skåne’, home of Lund University (esteemed SCC Member), Sweden’s third largest city Malmö (home of footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic) and the unappetizing Swedish speciality Spettekaka (don’t ask)? Founded in 1891, the company, which is HQd in Södertälje, south of the Swedish capital, is a world leader in manufacturing heavy trucks and buses, with a sales and service organisation in more than 100 countries. It is also a valued SCC Member, and we love them. Go Scania!

With the slogan ‘Beautifullly Swedish’ we are surprised that so few people clock that this is an utterly Swedish beverage. Although it can be imbibed at any time, this season the SCC expert sommeliers (we clearly are multi-talented) recommend it for summer parties and Midsummer in particular. Being beautifully Swedish, we will be spending this occasion outdoors regardless of weather, grilling food and swatting mozzies. Exchange the T-bone for Strawberries & Cream and the swatting for tennis and it is practically Wimbledon. Which is another great opportunity for breaking out the Rekordelig. Just sayin.

Ever wonder who came up with putting milk in cartons? The SWEDES! And the Tetra Pak company in particular. Having ROCKED the food packaging market since 1951, Tetra Pak is currently the largest food packaging company in the world by sales, operating in more than 170 countries and with over 23,000 employees. With a HQ in Sweden AND in Switzerland, that will never confuse anyone. (Good luck, Americans)